About

Shawn Holtaway Keller is a hand embroidery artist residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Born in the suburbs of Chicago, Shawn’s curiosity of all things creative began at an early age. As it often does with handcraft, her exposure to sewing and hand stitching came from women in her family and her extended community of friends and mentors. That early spark eventually led her to seek formal training and a BFA in Fashion Design, in addition to a BA in Sociology.

Over the years, Shawn accumulated skills, knowledge and confidence in a variety of settings across the country: a bridal alterations department and a sewn paper stationery company in Chicago, technical design, patternmaking and grading departments of various sized clothing companies in Wisconsin and Los Angeles, and through continual personal exploration. Through these experiences she not only honed her craft and aesthetic but also began to intertwine sustainable practices with her growing passion for hand stitching. 

Today, Shawn is the sole owner and creative force behind Scattered Light Stitchery. Utilizing the slow, intentional craft of hand embroidery she transforms fabric, paper, wood, and other found objects. In essence, she takes materials at the end of their story and creates pages on which new stories will be written.

Shawn designs and stitches every piece with her own hands. Her unexpected embellishments challenge the assumptions of what hand embroidery can be in a modern context. With an eye toward sustainability and reverence for salvaged materials, she keeps the tradition of creating things by hand alive and appreciated, like a folktale passed down from generation to generation.